pit bulls
Many people don’t know the history of the pit-bull or where this breed comes from; they just go with the common misconception of the dog. The legal definition of a pit bull is a class of dogs that of which includes the following breeds: American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American bulldog and any other pure bred or mixed breed dog that is a combination of these dogs. Weight and shape can vary significantly amongst pit bulls, from 35 to 100 plus pounds. Today’s pit bull is a descendant of the original English bull-baiting dog.
These dogs were bred to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head. When baiting large animals was outlawed, people turned to fighting their dogs against each other instead. The larger, slower bull-baiting dogs were crossed with smaller, quicker terriers to produce a more agile and athletic dog for fighting other dogs. Some pit bulls were selected and bred for their fighting ability. Which means that they may possibly be more likely than other breeds to fight with dogs. It doesn’t mean that they can’t be around other dogs or that they’re unpredictably aggressive. Other pit bulls were specifically bred for work and companionship. These dogs have long been popular family pets, noted for their gentleness, affection and loyalty and even those pit bulls bred to fight other animals were not prone to aggressiveness toward people. Dogs used for fighting needed to be routinely handled by people; therefore aggression toward people was not tolerated. Any dog that behaved aggressively toward a person was killed, to avoid passing on such an undesirable trait. Research on pet dogs confirms that dog aggressive dogs are no more likely to direct aggression toward people than dogs that aren’t aggressive to other dogs. All of these negative traits can also be easily avoided
Early positive experiences, most notably socialization, are considered key in preventing aggressive
These dogs were bred to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head. When baiting large animals was outlawed, people turned to fighting their dogs against each other instead. The larger, slower bull-baiting dogs were crossed with smaller, quicker terriers to produce a more agile and athletic dog for fighting other dogs. Some pit bulls were selected and bred for their fighting ability. Which means that they may possibly be more likely than other breeds to fight with dogs. It doesn’t mean that they can’t be around other dogs or that they’re unpredictably aggressive. Other pit bulls were specifically bred for work and companionship. These dogs have long been popular family pets, noted for their gentleness, affection and loyalty and even those pit bulls bred to fight other animals were not prone to aggressiveness toward people. Dogs used for fighting needed to be routinely handled by people; therefore aggression toward people was not tolerated. Any dog that behaved aggressively toward a person was killed, to avoid passing on such an undesirable trait. Research on pet dogs confirms that dog aggressive dogs are no more likely to direct aggression toward people than dogs that aren’t aggressive to other dogs. All of these negative traits can also be easily avoided
Early positive experiences, most notably socialization, are considered key in preventing aggressive